Tightener for drive-chains.



W. E. DONNER. TIGHTENER FOR DRIVE CHAINS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.23, 1911.

Patented N 0V. 28, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

-ff/ Allomey W. E. DONNER. ,TIGHTENER PoR DRIVE CHAINS.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB.23, 1911.

Patented NOV. 28. 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E ,91.16, u Q Liv Nn. l NN .L ww

UNITED sTArEs Rapanui onirica- -WILLIAM E. DONNER, OF GRAND ISLAND, -NIEDBRASKA.,l ASSIGNOR O F ONE-HALF '10 CHRISTIAN J'. DONNER, OF GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA;`

TIGHTENER FODRIVE-CIIAINS.

Specification of vLetters Patent. Patented NOV. 2S, 1911.

I Application led February 23, 1911. Serial No. 610,191.

"'\5.Sta te of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tighteners for Drive-Chains,'of which the following is a speciication. -"ll`his invention relates to that class of I a motor which is mounted on the plow carriage.-

- It i'sthel object of the present invention to provide in a ,machine of the kind stated i'ng the plows-so thattheir depth can be readilyfa'djusted, and also, to provide im-4 proved `means for adjusting the traction wheels, and also the tension of the drive chains thereof.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide improved means for controlling the operationl of-,the machine.l

`['11' 'o'r de rthat,he'- invention .may be better `understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this' specification, in which drawings- Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through one of the axles of the traction wheels showing the means for adjusting the tension of the drive chain.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the plow' carriage comprises a frame consisting of longitudinal side beams 1 connected at their front ends by a Cross beam 2, and converging'iattheir rear ends. and connected threat by a cross beam 3, Theframe also includesspacedlongitudinal beams 4 extending between the end cross beams parallel to the side beams.i This frame is. mounted at its frontend ony two traction wheels 5, and r at'gitis rear end'on a swiveled caster wheel 6, 5* which latter 4 is employed for. steering the machine. 1

On the herein-describedframe, near the front end thereof, is mounted the motor 7 which is, preferably, an internal-combustion lengine. A fuel tank ,is shown at 8. The

crank shaft 9. of `the motor extends rearwardly in thedirection of the length of the machine, and is connected by .means of a clutch IO to Ian alin'ed shaft 11 which transjmit's 'motion to a jack shaft 12 extending Lit plows which are self-controlled by means off improvedv means for supporting and mount.

transversely of the machine and mounted in suitable bearing carried by the frame thereof. On the jack shaft are loose opposite bevel gears 13, and in mesh therewith is a bevel gear 14 which is fast onthe shaft 11. -A clutch member 15 is splined onthe jack shaft between the gears 13, and is engage- .able with either one or the other ofsaid gears to transmit the motion thereof to the jack shaft, and. also to permit reversal of said shaft. This gearing isinclosed in a suitable case 16 shown partly broken away `dn Fig. 1. A suit-able shifter for each of the @herein-described clutches is provided, the shifter of the clutch 10 being operated by lmeans of a hand lever 17, and the shifter of the clutch 15 by a hand lever 18.

On each side of the machine is located a lcountershaft 19 extending parallel to the jack shaft 12 and geared thereto, said countershafts being mounted in suitable bearings carried by the frame of the machine. On each countershaft is made fast a sprocket .wheel 2Q which is connected by a chain 21 to a sprocket wheel 22 made fast to the correspondingtraction wheel 5. The countershaftsare independently geared to the jack shaft so. that either of the traction wheels Imay be disconnected from the driving limeans. The advantage of this arrangement should get stuck in soft ground, said wheel `,can be disconnected from the driving means and all the power applied'to the othentrac'- tion wheel, thereby enabling' the machine to be more readily released. Short turns can also be more. easily made.'

The driving connections between the counter-shafts 19 and the'jack shaft 12 are made. by the following means: On the jack shaft are loosely mounted cone clutch members 23 which are formed with pinions 24,

which latter. are in mesh, respectively,with pinions 2.5. on the counter-shafts. Splined on the jack shaft are cone clutch members'26 members 23. Each clutch member -26 is normally heldin frictional engagement with its companion clutch member 23 by a spring 27 se 'is that 1n case one of the traction wheels' vloo coperating, respectively, with they .clutch- 'the clutch member 26, and on the other end of the lever is provided a small roller 31. This roller normally seats in a recess 32 in the face of a cam 33 which is fixed to one end of a rock shaft 34 which is operated by a foot pedal xed thereon, said shaft being mounted in suitable bearings on the frame of the machine. When pressure is applied i to the foot pedal, the shaft 34 is rocked, and

by the engagement of the cam with the roller, the lever is swung on its pivot to disengage the clutch member 26. Each clutch member is provided with the hereindescribed operating means.

The plowshares 36 are located between the casterand y the traction wheels, they being supported by standards 37 carried by beams 38. The beams are parallel, and at their front ends they are pivotally connected to the opposite sides of a coupling block 39, which latter is adjustably mounted on a T-shaped rib 40 formed at the rear of a sleeve member 41 mounted on a vertical vstem 42 depending from a bracket mounted on the bottom of the frame members 4. The

. stem is connected at its lower end by braces 42a to the frame members 2. The sleeve member 41 is in two sections which are spaced to form an opening therebetween through which the stem 42 passes, and on said stem, within this opening, is adjustably secured, by a set screw or other suitable means 44, a collar 45 which engages the up'- per portion of the member, and holds the same in position on the stem. Vertical adjustment of the member is effected by adjustment of the collar on the stem. The plow beams 38 are pivotally connected to the block 39 by a horizontal transverse bolt 46 passing through said parts, which connection permits the beams to swing in a vertical plane. Lateral adjustment of the effected by shifting the block 39 on the rib 40, said block being heldin adjusted position on-the rib by means of bolts 47 passing vertically through the block, the latter being in two parts and forming a clamp when the bolts are tightened.

The rear ends of the plow beams 38 are supported by a bail 48 pivoted to brackets 49 mounted on the bottom of the frame members 4. The plow beams are connected at this point by transverse bars 50 carrying bearings 51 for a pair of vertically spaced rollers 5,2 between which the bail extends.

plow beams isv The width of the bail is such that the plow beams may havea limited amount of lateral play. A hand lever 53 is connected by a link 54 to the bail, whereby the latter may be swung on its pivot to raise or lower the rear ends of t-he plow beams and thus elevate or lower the plowshares.

The traction wheels 5 are so mounted that they may be raised and lowered, the following means being provided for this purpose: On each countershaft 19 are pivotally mounted, so as to swing in a vertical plane, two sector-shaped frames, the frames which are mounted on one of the countershafts carrying one of the traction wheels, and the frames of the lother countershaftA carrying the other traction wheel. The members of t-he respective pairs of frames comprise upper and lower bars 55 and 56, respectively, spaced at one of their ends and connected .by an arcuate member 57 having rack teeth .58. The other ends of the bars are brought together and pivotally connected to the countershaft.

In mesh with the rack teeth 58 are pinions 59 which are fast on a shaft 60 extending transversely of the in bearings carried by the frame thereof, and said frame also carries bearings in which is journaled a shaft 61 extending at a right angle to the shaft and provided with a worm 62 which is in mesh with a worm wheel 63 on the shaft 60. The shaft 6l may for rotating the same, and when this is done, the motion of said shaft is transmitted by the worm gearing to the shaft 60, and through the pinions 59 and the rack teeth 58 the sector frames are swung up and down on their pivotal supports, and as said frames carry the traction wheel, the latter is raised or lowered. Each traction wheel is provided with the herein-described raising and lowering devices, sothat either one or both of said wheels may be adjusted. The sector frames are provided with suitable cross braces 64.

The traction wheels are carried by the lower members 56 of the respective pairs of sector frames, said members carrying upper and lower bearing members 65 embracing the axle 66 of the wheel. These bearing members are connected and made fastto the members 56 by clamping bolts 67.

In order to adjust the tension of the drive chains 21, the under side of the members 56 are formed with rack teeth 68, and in the ends of the axis 66 are cut spur teeth 69 which are in mesh with said rack teeth. It will therefore be evident that when the axle is rotated, it will be shifted along the members 56, thus ltightening or loosening the chain according to the direction in which the axle is shifted. One end of the axle has a socket 70 into which a wrench or other suitable device may be inserted for the purmachine, and supported be fitted with any suitable means pose of rtating the axle as stated. lt will be understood, of course, that the bolts 67 must be loosened or removed before the herein-described adjustment of the axle can be made, and also that after the adjustment has been madeV the bolts are again tightened, and the axle is then stationary, the traction wheels turning thereon when the machine is in motion. Both drive chains are provided with the herein-described adjusting devices.

The machine is guided by means of the caster wheel 6, said wheel being carried by a fork 7l having a vertical spindle 7 2 which is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings carried by the frame of the machine. 0n the spindle is a worm wheel 7 3 which is in mesh with a worm 74 on a shaft 75, which latter shaft is geared to a steering shaft 76 by bevel 'gears 77. The steering shaft is provided with a steering wheel 78.

rlhe caster wheel and the right hand trace tion wheel run in the furrow-made by the plowshares, and to allow for different depths of plowing, the herein-described adjustment of the traction wheels is provided.

At the rear end of the machine is a seatv 79 for the operator, and the several controlling levers, pedals, etc., are located in close proximity to the seat so as tobe within easy reach of the driver.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that a self-propelled plow is had which is easily controlled and which permits all the necessary adjustments to be readily made.

The several hand levers herein described are provided with suitable locking devices.

ll claim:

The combination of a supporting frame including a longitudinal member having rack teeth on its under side, upper and lower bearing members carried by the longitudinal member, means for clamping said members to the longitudinal member, an axle carried by the bearing members therebetween, said axle extending beneath the longitudinal member and having spur teeth in mesh with the rack teeth, a wheel loose on the axle, and means for rotating the axle.

lny testimony whereof ll affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WlLLIAM lil. DONNER.

1Witnesses:

EDWARD JT. HoUcx, HEINRICH C. Boni-IM. 

